The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-10-27
Report on mountain Work.

Inc committee on so much OF the Annual Report
as relates to mountain work, particularly in Ten
nessee and Kentucky, respectfully reports as
follows:
The few details given in the report are of such
an interesting character as to suggest the earnest
wish til; far more extended accounts of facts and
ineid' his had been spread before the Association
Want of space in the narration of the vast work
OF this body was OF course the constrainng reason
for brevity In the report. But the comprehensive
statement which is made exhibits conclusively the
| opportunity for new and peculiar work, namely,
that of giving, the Gospel, its character and its
| benehcent Christian agencies.
This is class Of white population, class which
telt OF course In some degree the blighting lnfu-
ence OF slavery, Which contaminated everything
| within the reach of its malaria; but this class,
| from Its circumstances, was not a slave-hedng
class. 1t is class of sturdy blood and mountain
| habits. and is capable of great development 4 wO
| field.
| One u.s. the ordinary obligation to preach the
| gospel to those who do not have the gospel
:, The other is the evident capacity of This pecu-
| liar people TO become power in the development
of that section of our land.
While the field and the number Of persons are
! 10th limited In comparison with the great work
| among the freedmen their Importance appeals TO
this Association with steadily increasing force.
| The opportunity is at hand, and it Is in line
scarcely have hoped for Bevont pra Sefs IS dae 10
Almighty God for this open door to a vast success
III Is worthy OF notice in this respect how In the
| history of this Association, God has steadily
| placed before it successive duties and sncces
| Slve privileges; From the first dawning of its
| Foreign and Home work. freed from COMP lefty
with the great sin of our country, new specialties
nave been added as fast as older ones were ripened
| work seems TO be In direct line Of Divine deye-
| opment. Your Committee feels that the sanction
OF TINS Association should be emphatieally given
10 the work OF its administration In this DEPART
menf, work In which no spirit of caste shall be in
any way tolerated, and that the call for large
increase OF laborers to be located at all suitable
| points, should be met as rapidly as possible
Inc Committee has no doubt of the wisdom and
Haclous care wileh characterizes your Execu-
needs only the hearty approval of this body 70
encourage it to go on in this direction
Rev. DR.. Quint followed with an address
upon the report, and related his own expert
eDce in the mountain region during the war
Of the Rebellion. He gave his impressions
Of the character of the hardy inhabitants of
that section, their sturdy independence.
their sufferings during the war, their suscep-
tibility to educational and religious influence
and the Importance of securing them to the
side of Christian intelligence and mental de-
velopment. DR.. Quint gave a graphic pic
| ture of the march of the armies of the Re-
public over those historic grounds, of the
great conflict between freedom and slavery,
Of the thunder of the guns from Lookout
Mountain, of the tread of the avenging hosts
| over those fields that great state SO unjust
ly wrested from the Indians, of righteous
retribution wrought in fire and blood for the
great wrong done to that wronged race, and
of the bright prospect of the future for that
| section when the gospel, borne by the mis-
siOnary, shall have exerted its divine power
to transform the life and character of its re-
cipients. For that grand result, this associa-
ton is working.
Rev. +. e. Jenkins, missionary among the
mountains whites, spoke Of the state of edu-
cation among that people. and OF their
/ schools. He spoke Of the severance of NOR
atty from religion, of the deadly feuds be-
tween families, yet could speak also of the
| advance in educational and religious matters.
The work there is essentially a foreign mis-
sion work. There are nearly two and a half
millions to be reached by this association.
There could be and should be a thousand
Congregational churches in the mountain re-